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(No Model.)

L. P. BRITT.

SAFETY BRIDLE BIT. No. 397,273.

Patented Feb. 5, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

LUCAS l. BRITT, Oh NFAY YORK, i. Y.

SAFETY BRlDLE-BIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,273, dated February 5, 1889.

Application filed April 10, 1888. Renewed November 10, 1888. Serial No. 290,453. (No model.)

To (ZZZ- irhom if may concern.-

.Be it known that l, LUCAS l. .Bnr'rr, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have lnvented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Bits for Controlling l ractious Horses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification, in \vhich Figure l is a perspective view of a horses head fitted with my improved safety clamp and bit; Fig. 2, a plan view of a bar-bit havin my improvements attached thereto; Fig. 3, a transverse section in line a: m of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, an enlarged sectional detail in line i/ 1 of Fig. 3, illustrating the device for adjusting the clamping device; and Fig. 5, a plan view of a snaffle-bit having my invention applied thereto.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple effective device to be used in combination with the bridle-bit, whereby a fractious horse may he instantly subdued and controlled by closing his nostrils.

It consists in the combination, with the bit to be placed in the horses mouth,of lateral rods extending forward from each end of the bit, and which are hinged to the ends of a flexible metallicband fitting upon the horses nose, the ends of the band being provided with pads adapted, when the rods are drawn back, so as to bend the band, to be thereby pressed upon and close the air-passages of the nose, which extend upward from each nostril.

It consists, furthermore, in the combination and arrangen'ient of this clamping device with the spririg-actuated bridle'rings and the curb-chain of the bit, in manner as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the bar of a bar-bit, and B B its cheek-pieces, of any approved style and form.

C is a curb-chain, whose ends are attached to the bridle-rings D D, and which is led through lateral rings E E on the inner side of each cheek-piece, so that by pulling upon and drawing out the bridle-rings D D the curbchain will be drawn up against the under side of the horses jaw and will operate to close it.

The ln'idlc-rings D D are secured ,to lateral rods F F, titted to slide longitudinally through bearings formed therefor in the cheek-pieces l3 13 at each end of the bar A, and at right angles thereto. The rods are drawn inward to hold thebridle-rin gs firmly against the cheekpicces by means of stiff springs G G interposed between the two bcarin gs of each rod in the check-pieces, each spring being confined between the cheek-piece at one end and a pin or shoulder on the rod at the other, so. as to resist the drawing outward of the bridlcring attached to the rod. The outer-forward ends of the rods F F are bent toward each other and hinged severally to the two ends of a flexible and, preferably, elastic metallic band, H, adapted to fit transversely upon the horses nose, these ends having attached thereto padplates J J, adapted to fit neatly upon the nose over the longitudinal ducts or air-passages which extend from each nostril to the windpipe, so that a pressure upon the pads will operate to close said ducts or air-passages.

Preferably the hinged connection of the ends of each rod F with its appropriate pad J is effected by means of an interposed link, K, pivoted to the one, and the other in position to extend parallel with the end of the rod and the proximate end of the clampingband H, the end of the band being overlapped by the end of the rod so that the link shall lie between them, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This link serves to afford leverage to the rod in producing a direct pressure of the face of the pad upon the nose.

The springs G G may be of any suitable description and of such resilient power as to afford adequate resistance to a strain upon the ln'idle-rein, so as to permit of the effective pull upon the bit required in the ordinary managemcn t of the horse, and to prevent a movement of the rods to close the pads upon the nose except under a very powerful pull upon the reins. hen this pull is exerted, the curb-chain C will be drawn up under the horses j aw, so as to operate to close his mouth, and the clamping-rods F F will be simultaneously drawn back, so as to close the pads in upon the horses nose, the band H serving as a fulcrum, whereby the movement of the rods will be made to operate effectually in closing the pads J J inward, so that they shall press upon the airpassages, and thereby prevent the animal from breathing through the nostrils, a result which will quickly quiet him and subject him to the drivers will without the possibility of injury.

To provide for an adjustment in the length of the clamping-rods F F, so as to obtain a perfect adaptation of the device to the horses head upon .which it is to be used, each rod. is adapted to screw lcmgitmlinally into the end of a tubular rod, Ti, litt ed to slidelongitudinally in suitable bearings in each cheek-piece l at each end of the bit-bar A, said tubular rod L being governed by a spring, (1 in manner as described, to resist a tension upon the bridlering I), secured to said rod. This tubular rod is free not only to slide longitiulinally in its bearings, but also to rotate upon its longitudinal axis, and it is ii'lternally-threaded at its open end to serve as a nut, into which the end of the clamp-rod F will screw; hence by turning the rod l the rod F may be drawn in or carried out thercfrmn, so as to be thereby adj usted in length with reference to the bridlering.

For use with a snailie-bit, I, the rods F F are simply attached to the bit by means of loops M M, fitted to slide loosely upon the bit, as shown in Fig. These loops may terminate each in an internally-threadcd head or nut, X, into whichthe ends of the rods may be screwed for :uljustment. \Vhen the bit is drawn upon, so as to cause it to bend in the horses mouth, the loops M )l, sliding inward toward the middle of the bit, (see dotted lines,

Fig. 5,) will, in connection with the pull? thereon, cause the pads to close upon the nose, as hcreinbefore described.

Although I deem the links K, interposed between the ends of the rods F and the clamping-pads D, as shown in Fig. 2, to be useful, they may be dispensed with and the rods be hinged directly to the pads, as shown in Fig. 5.

The band H and pads J J may be lined with soft material to prevent chafing the horses skin.

In the use of this improved device the pull upon the bridle-reins required in the manage ment and control of the animal when quiet and tractable will have no effect upon the rods F F but if the horse becomes fractious and unruly a hard pull upon the reins will,

by overcoming the resistance of the springs G G, draw in the rods F F sufficiently to bring the pads J J into effective operatioi'i to stifle the horse.

I claim as my invention 1. The con'il'iination, substantially as and for the purpose set forth, of a bridle-bit, lateral movable rods supported by the bit to extend forward upon the horses nose, a tlexi ble band connecting their ends, and pads hinged to said ends to bear inward upon the nose when the rods are drawn back.

:2. The combination of a bridle-bit, lateral movable rods supported by the bit to play in bearings formed in its cheek-pieces, springs actuating said rods to force them forward,

bridle rings or loops. attached to the rods by which to draw them back, a flexible band connecting the forward ends of said rods, and pads hinged to said ends to bear upon the horses nose when the rods are drawn back against the resistance of the springs, substantially in the manner and tor the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination of a bridle-bit, lateral movable rods supportedby the bit to play in bearings formed in its GllQGl-1JlOCGS, springs actuating said rods to force them forward, bridle rings or loops at the rear ends of the rods by which to draw them back, a curbchain attached to said ends and passing through rings on the cheek-pieces, a flexible band connecting the forward ends of said rods, and pads hinged to said ends to bear upon thehorses nose when the rods are drawn back against the resistance of the springs, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

4:. The combination, with the bridle-bit, its cheek-pieces, the lateral rods supported by and moving in said cheek-pieces, the flexible,

band connecting their forward ends, and the pads pivoted thereto, of the springs fitted in the cheek-pieces to actuate said rods and hold open the pads, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUCAS P. BRITT.

itnesses:

A. N. JESBERA, E. M. WATSON. 

